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(No Model.) a I J! F. HUDSON. FRUIT CLEANER No. 281,512,. Pat ented July 17, 1883.

I INVBNTOR:

WITNESSES: fi ol W/Zzz ATTORNEYS.

ETERS, Pfiawmm n mr. Washington. D. c.

I UNITED STATES. PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN F. HUDSON, OF BROOKLYN, NE\V YORK.

FRUIT-CLEANER.

SPEGIFICATIONforming part of Letters Patent No. 281,512, dated July 17, 1881.

Application filed February 2, ISEB. No model To and whom it maywoncern:

Be it known that I, JOHN FRANCIS HUD- soN, of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented'a new and useful Improvement in Fruit A Cleaners, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is an end elevation of my improvement. Fig. 2 is asectional side elevation of the same, taken through the line as m, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the brush, the shaft being shown in section. Fig. 4 shows a modification of the. brush.- Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the screen. Fig. 6 is an end elevation of the same.

The object of this invention is to facilitate the cleaning of currants and other small fruits.

A is the frame of the machine, to the rear upper part of which are attached the lower ends of two standards, B.

To the upper ends of the standards B is attached the rear end of the feed-spout C, which is set in an inclined position, and its lower forward end is attached to the top of the hopper D. The lower end of the hopper D is attached to the top of the forward end of the frame A.

To the forward side of the front of thehopper D is attached a gudgeon, E, upon which revolves a crank-wheel, F. The crank-wheel F is made large and heavy to adapt it to serve as a fly-wheel to give steadiness of motion to the machine.

To the inner side of the crank-wheel F is attached, or upon it is formed, a gear-wheel, G, the teeth of which mesh into the teeth of the small gear-wheel H, attached to the forward end of the shaft I. The forward part of the shaft I revolves in a bearing in the forward side of the lower part of the hopper D. The shaft I passes through the upper part of the discharge-opening in the lower part of the rear side of the hopper D, and its rear end revolves in a bearing in the center of the circular plate J, the forward side of the edge of which is rabbeted to fit into a circular opening in the plate K, attached to or formed upon the top of the'rear end of the frame A.

Upon the lower edge of the plate J is formed a projection, L, which engages with the catch M, attached to the rear side of the plate K.

Upon the outer side of the upper part of the plate J is formed a perforated lug, N, to receive a pin, 0, which passes through the outwardly-projecting flange P, formed around the outer edge of the plate K, or through a lug, Q, formed upon the outer side of the said plate K, or through both flange and lug.

Around the inner edge of the plate K is formedaforwardly-projecting flange, R, to receive and serve as a support for the rear lower end of the screen S, the forward upper end of which is placed within a rearwardly-projecting annular flange, T, formed upon the rear side of the hopper D.

In one side of the forward end of the screen S is formed a recess, U, to receive a lug, V, formed upon the rear plate of the hopper, to prevent the said screen from turning.

The screen S is formed of longitudinal wires secured to wire rings or hoops, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6.

In the lower side of the screen S,at its lower end, is formed an opening, W, through which the cleaned fruit falls to and through a spout, X, formed in the upper part of the trough Y, into a receiving-box, Z, placed upon a platform in the lower part of the frame A. The trough Y is placed beneath the screen S, and is slightly inclined downward and forward, so as to receive the stems, dust, and other refuse removed from the fruit, and allow them to be readily brushed from the said trough into a receiver.

To the shaft I are secured, by set-screws or other suitable means, two or more collars, 1, provided with three or more radial arms, 2, which are slotted longitudinally to receive the bolts 3, that secure to the said arms the longitudinal bars 4, which are provided with brushes of bristles or other suitable material. The brush-bars 4 may be straight, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, or may be curved spirally, as shown in Fig. 4.

The rapidity of feed is regulated by a sliding plate or gate, 5, placed against the inner ICO side of the hopper D, and slotted vertically to receive the bolt 6, by which it is secured to the said side of the hopper, so that by loosening the nut of the bolt 6 the plate 5 can be adjusted as may be required.

In using the machine the fruit is placed in the spout C, and is fed down by the operator with one hand while he turns the crank-wheel F with the other hand. As the fruit passes into the screen S it is swept around the said screen by the brush 1, 2 3 4, and escapes through the opening at the rear end of the said screen into the receiver Z, while the stems, dust, and other refuse escape through the meshes of the screen S into the trough Y, whence they can be removed when desired.

I am aware that there is nothing new in the frame and standards, or in the arrangement of the spout G, hopper D, the cylindrical screen S, and the revolving shaft I, or in the mechanism by which the shaft is revolved, or in the rotary brush; but

That I do claim as new and of my invention is The combination, with the screen S, recessed at U, and the hopper D, having flange T, and lug V, of the plate J, having the projection L and perforated lug N, and the plate K, having the catch M, flange P, and lug Q, as and for the purpose specified.

JOHN FRANCIS HUDSON.

\Vitnesses:

L. V. ROBERTS, \VILLIAM HENRY HUDsoN. 

